Boron in Oil Palm

Boron is necessary for:• Preventing “fishbone leaf” (the development of

extremely small, thin pinnae• Preventing “hooked leaf” (a single or double

hook on the pinnae near the tip)

• Elimination of white stripe occurrence in leaves• Preventing seedless fruitlet• Adequate fresh fruit bunch formation• Enhanced root growth

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Crinkled Leaf Immature Palms Parthenocarpy

Boron Deficiency

How much boron is enough?Oil palm removes significant amounts of boron from the soil each year. Dosage rates for young and mature oil palm depend on the soils and yield goals. Always consult a U.S. Borax agronomist for proper dosage.

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Fertibor / Granubor in palm

Palm age 6 months

g/palm 25

Recommended Boron Dose Rate

Adequate boron fertilizer and balanced nutrients produce good fruit set.

Your boron fertilizer options• Granubor®: Ideal for dry blends for soil application• Fertibor®: For isolated soil applications and supplemental auxiliary application• Solubor®: Flexible product that can be dissolved alone in water, in liquid fertilizer, or pesticides then applied to the soil or

directly onto the palms

1 year 1½ years 2 years 2½ years 3 years 3½ years or more

* 200-250 g per palm per year if the annual production is above 25 mt per hectare per year or located in a high rainfall area (>3,000mm/year). Split application is recommended for dosage above 250 g per palm per year.

Gram

s of

Fer

tibor

/ Gr

anub

or p

er p

alm

Solubor concentration at seeding

13.6 g 100 L water

RecommendationsRecommendations are for very low boron level soil (<0.02 ppm). Actual dosage depends on planting materials, soil type, leaf/foliar analysis, and soil analysis.